Hang in There

As David Blaine was more than half way through accomplishing his latest stunt, risking blindness and massive internal bleeding, he had one thing keeping him going: the support of his fans.



“They’ve really helped make this go by in a way that I could never thank them enough for,” said Brooklyn-born Blaine, 35, of his supporters and added: ““I know I will make it to the end.”

As Blaine talked he sounded fatigued, and at a loss for words. He said, “I have adapted to the situation somewhat.”

A crowd of 50 people surrounded Blaine. Some are fans, others on vacation in the Big Apple.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said 24-year-old Alana Kane from London, England. She came to Big Apple to shop, but had to see Blaine after hearing about his stunt.

“Hang in there!” yelled Kane up at Blaine.

A fan since Blaine’s first ploy, Patrick Barr, 44, said, “I think he is a shaman” and felt Blaine’s stunts take “intestinal fortitude.”

Blaine has been a fixture in New York since 1999, when he entombed himself underground for seven days across from Trump Place. Since then, he stuck himself in a block of ice at Times Square (2000), has balanced atop a 90 ft high pillar in Bryant Park (2002), submerged himself in water in front of the Lincoln Center (2006), and shackled to a rotating gyroscope near Times Square (2006).

Barr had some criticisms of this event: “I was more impressed by his other stunts…I wish he didn’t keep standing up,” referring to the five-minute break Blaine took every hour to stand up, go to the bathroom, and get checked out by doctors.

“I don’t think it is realistic that the TV audience (the finale was to be carried live on ABC) will know he is taking breaks,” said Melissa Vink, 39, on vacation from Michigan.

Regardless, even Vink says she thinks Blaine has “superhuman abilities” and has admired his stunts for years.

Before Blaine could even unharness himself, the rumor mill had already started for his next event; Barr heard it involved staying awake for a long time, but Blaine spokeswoman Sarah McDonnell denied that.

Blaine hasn’t said anything about what is next but did divulge his secret formula for deciding: “I like to imagine me as a little kid growing up in New York and the things that would make me come and watch.”